Bike Nutrition

Eat Light On Your Bike

Fact: The average person can process only about 1 gram of carbohydrate per minute, no matter how much is consumed

chris carmichael

(Photo by Tom Kimmel)

At a recent cycling camp, I was talking with Dave, a 42-year-old father of two who was training for an annual cycling weekend with his buddies. He was making progress, but was frustrated with his performance during long rides—once he passed three hours, he started having stomach trouble. As he rattled off a list of what he consumed each hour on the bike—half an energy bar, one gel, a bottle of sports drink and a bottle of water—I realized he was eating and drinking too much.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30-60 grams of carbohydrate per hour of exercise, but few athletes understand the reason for this amount. The average person can process, or oxidize, only about 1 gram of carbohydrate per minute, no matter how much is consumed. The bottleneck isn't your muscles; it's your intestines, which can transport glucose from the food you eat into your bloodstream only so fast. Dumping more carbohydrate into your gut doesn't necessarily increase the absorption rate, and it can increase your chances of an upset stomach.

It's easier than you think to overload on carbs. Take Dave as an example. His half an energy bar (23 grams of carbs), one gel (27 grams of carbs) and bottle of sports drink (about 50 grams of carbs) meant he was taking in about 100 grams of carbohydrate every hour. Early in his rides, he was doing great because he was getting all the fluid, energy and sodium his body could handle, but after a few hours the excess carbohydrate sloshing around in his system was making him nauseous, bloated and ill.

One of the easiest ways to optimize your carbohydrate intake during rides is to drink plain water while you're eating carbohydrate-rich foods such as energy bars and gels, and then drink a sports drink by itself later. Two PowerBar Gels and one bottle of water provide the same amount of energy and electrolytes as a bottle of PowerBar Endurance drink. Simply separating these two categories—sports drinks and energy foods—typically brings people back into the range of 30-60 grams of carbohydrate per hour, while also ensuring they're getting adequate sodium and fluids.

Also, new research suggests that by consuming energy foods that contain a mix of sugars (such as glucose and fructose, or glucose and maltodextrin) instead of just one type, you can bump oxidation to as much as 1.7 grams per minute.

Over the course of three days at camp, Dave made subtle changes in his on-bike eating habits. He set an alarm to beep every 15 minutes as a reminder to drink, instead of guzzling an entire bottle at once. He added granola bars and fig bars to his stash of energy bars and gels for variety. As we rolled past the four-hour mark, Dave was taking long turns at the front and chatting happily in the paceline as if the ride had just begun.

The Moving Feast

One of the first things a new cyclist learns is that without on-bike food and fluids, you can't pedal very far or very fast. Here's what to eat and drink on rides of various lengths for stronger rides.

SHORT RIDES

RIDE DURATION: 1 hour or less

PRIMARY CONCERN: Fluid replenishment

WHAT TO DRINK: Plain water

WHAT TO EAT: Most people start with enough stored energy for a 60-minute workout, but carry 1 PowerBar Gel, which has 27 grams of carbs and 200mg sodium, just in case

BONUS TIP: For optimal recovery, eat a full meal within an hour of finishing an intense workout.

MEDIUM-LENGTH RIDES

RIDE DURATION: 1 to 3 hours

PRIMARY CONCERN: Carbohydrate replenishment

WHAT TO DRINK: 1 bottle water and 1 bottle sports drink per hour, at least

WHAT TO EAT: 30-60g of carb per hour from bars, gels and sports drinks--up to 80g if you're consuming glucose and fructose together

BONUS TIP: Don't dilute the sports drinks--your body absorbs them most efficiently at their correct concentrations.

WHAT TO DRINK: 1 bottle water and 1 bottle sports drink per hour, at least

WHAT TO EAT: 30-60g of carbs per hour, total. Digestion can get harder as rides get longer, so eat more solids at the beginning of the ride, and rely on gels for quick energy in the last third of the ride.

BONUS TIP: Supplement bars and gels with carb-rich, low-protein, moderate-fat "real" foods. Don't worry about specific amounts of protein or fat; just eat what tastes good so you keep eating.